William Wordsworth Biography: On April 7,1770 William Wordsworth was born in Cockermouth, Cumbria, England. He was the second of five children and his parents were John and Anne Wordsworth. In 1778 when he turned 8 his mother passed away and he was sent to Hawkshead Grammar School where he learned to love poetry. His father later died in the year of 1783. After Hawkshead he was sent to St. John's College in Cambridge, before the final semester at this school he went on a walking tour of Europe where in came into contact with the French Revolution. The French Revolution gave him interest and sympathy for life. The earliest poetry of his published was "An Evening Walk" and "Descriptive Sketches" which were both published in the year of 1793. He became close friends with fellow poet Coleridge and together they worte Lyrical Ballads in 1798. In 1802 he married Mary Hutchinson and had four children with her. In 1807 he published a two volume book about his poetry. Later two out of his four children died within a year. He began to write his most famous poem "The Prelude". He died on April 23,1850 without being able to finish his poem but his wife later finished it.
Written In March:
The cock is crowing, a
The stream is flowing, a
The small birds twitter, b
The lake doth glitter b
The green field sleeps in the sun; c
The oldest and youngest d
Are at work with the strongest; d
The cattle are grazing, a
Their heads never raising; a
There are forty feeding like one! e
Like an army defeated f
The snow hath retreated, f
And now doth fare ill g
On the top of the bare hill; g
The plowboy is whooping—anon-anon: h
There's joy in the mountains; i
There's life in the fountains; i
Small clouds are sailing, a
Blue sky prevailing; a
The rain is over and gone e
Written In March:
Reaction: My reaction to this poem was a mix with calm and joy and I agreed with what I think it meant and I didn't really have to think about the meaning because it was pretty clear.
Poetic Devices: The poetic device used in this poem was personification. For example in the line "The green field sleeps in the sun" he is saying that the fields are sleeping but fields are nonliving things and cannot really sleep. Also in one line of the poem a similie was used. This poem also uses rhyme.
Rhyme Scheme: <----- the letters in red: the rhyme repeats on two lines and then changes again. The both stanzas have the same rhyme scheme for the last three lines.
Theme: The theme of this poem is that everything and everyone is happier when bad is gone. The rain represents the bad thing and with everything being happier and jolly it means that everyone is happy when the bad is over whether its war or rain.
Daffodils: I wandered lonely as a cloud a
That floats on high o'er vales and hills, b
When all at once I saw a crowd, a
A host, of golden daffodils; b
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, c
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. c
Continuous as the stars that shine d
And twinkle on the milky way, e
They stretched in never-ending line d
Along the margin of a bay: e
Ten thousand saw I at a glance, f
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. f
The waves beside them danced, but they e
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee; c
A poet could not be but gay, e
In such a jocund company! g
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought h
What wealth the show to me had brought:h
For oft, when on my couch I lie i
In vacant or in pensive mood, j
They flash upon that inward eye i
Which is the bliss of solitude; j
And then my heart with pleasure fills, b
And dances with the daffodils. b
Daffodils:
Reaction: My reaction to this poem was calming as I read it but then I was left in wonder trying to figure out what the meaning of this poem really is.
Poetry devices:This poem used rhyme, similies, and imagery.
Rhyme Scheme:<------ the letters in red: the rhyme starts off in one line for all stanzas, then another scheme is comes afterward but the begining rhyme schemes returns after the second line so its like: rhyme ,another rhyme, rhyme, another rhyme, and two different rhymes. All of the stanzas have the same type of rhyme scheme.
Theme: The theme of this poem is that even if your alone you can still enjoy yourself by looking at other people be so joyful and admire their joyfulness.
The Kitten at Play: See the kitten on the wall, Sporting with the leaves that fall, Withered leaves – one, two and three – From the lofty elder tree! Through the calm and frosty air Of this morning bright and fair, Eddying round and round they sink Softly, slowly: one might think From the motions that are made, Every little leaf conveyed Sylph or fairy, hither tending – To this lower world descending, Each invisible and mute, In his wavering parachute. - But the kitten, how she starts! Crouches, stretches, paws, and darts: First at one, and then its fellow, Just as light and just as yellow; There are many now – now one – Now they stop; and there are none. What intentness of desire In her up-turned eye of fire! With a tiger-leap half way, Now she meets the coming prey. Lets it go at last, and then Has it in her power again.
The Kitten at Play:
Reaction: My reaction to this poem is happiness and joyfulness because the poem is creating that mood but then after I read the poem I had to really think about what it was trying to say
Poetry devices: this poem definitley used rhyme and also used imagery.
Rhyme Scheme: A A B B C C D D E E F F G G H H I I J J K K L L M M: this rhyme scheme is a repititve pattern throughout the whole poem.
Theme: The theme of this poem I believe is that you can enjoy make a mistake whenever because you can always try again and have fun each and every time.
On April 7,1770 William Wordsworth was born in Cockermouth, Cumbria, England. He was the second of five children and his parents were John and Anne Wordsworth. In 1778 when he turned 8 his mother passed away and he was sent to Hawkshead Grammar School where he learned to love poetry. His father later died in the year of 1783. After Hawkshead he was sent to St. John's College in Cambridge, before the final semester at this school he went on a walking tour of Europe where in came into contact with the French Revolution. The French Revolution gave him interest and sympathy for life. The earliest poetry of his published was "An Evening Walk" and "Descriptive Sketches" which were both published in the year of 1793. He became close friends with fellow poet Coleridge and together they worte Lyrical Ballads in 1798. In 1802 he married Mary Hutchinson and had four children with her. In 1807 he published a two volume book about his poetry. Later two out of his four children died within a year. He began to write his most famous poem "The Prelude". He died on April 23,1850 without being able to finish his poem but his wife later finished it.
The cock is crowing, a
The stream is flowing, a
The small birds twitter, b
The lake doth glitter b
The green field sleeps in the sun; c
The oldest and youngest d
Are at work with the strongest; d
The cattle are grazing, a
Their heads never raising; a
There are forty feeding like one! e
Like an army defeated f
The snow hath retreated, f
And now doth fare ill g
On the top of the bare hill; g
The plowboy is whooping—anon-anon: h
There's joy in the mountains; i
There's life in the fountains; i
Small clouds are sailing, a
Blue sky prevailing; a
The rain is over and gone e
Reaction: My reaction to this poem was a mix with calm and joy and I agreed with what I think it meant and I didn't really have to think about the meaning because it was pretty clear.
Poetic Devices: The poetic device used in this poem was personification. For example in the line "The green field sleeps in the sun" he is saying that the fields are sleeping but fields are nonliving things and cannot really sleep. Also in one line of the poem a similie was used. This poem also uses rhyme.
Rhyme Scheme: <----- the letters in red: the rhyme repeats on two lines and then changes again. The both stanzas have the same rhyme scheme for the last three lines.
Theme: The theme of this poem is that everything and everyone is happier when bad is gone. The rain represents the bad thing and with everything being happier and jolly it means that everyone is happy when the bad is over whether its war or rain.
I wandered lonely as a cloud a
That floats on high o'er vales and hills, b
When all at once I saw a crowd, a
A host, of golden daffodils; b
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, c
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. c
Continuous as the stars that shine d
And twinkle on the milky way, e
They stretched in never-ending line d
Along the margin of a bay: e
Ten thousand saw I at a glance, f
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. f
The waves beside them danced, but they e
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee; c
A poet could not be but gay, e
In such a jocund company! g
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought h
What wealth the show to me had brought:h
For oft, when on my couch I lie i
In vacant or in pensive mood, j
They flash upon that inward eye i
Which is the bliss of solitude; j
And then my heart with pleasure fills, b
And dances with the daffodils. b
Reaction: My reaction to this poem was calming as I read it but then I was left in wonder trying to figure out what the meaning of this poem really is.
Poetry devices:This poem used rhyme, similies, and imagery.
Rhyme Scheme:<------ the letters in red: the rhyme starts off in one line for all stanzas, then another scheme is comes afterward but the begining rhyme schemes returns after the second line so its like: rhyme ,another rhyme, rhyme, another rhyme, and two different rhymes. All of the stanzas have the same type of rhyme scheme.
Theme: The theme of this poem is that even if your alone you can still enjoy yourself by looking at other people be so joyful and admire their joyfulness.
See the kitten on the wall,
Sporting with the leaves that fall,
Withered leaves – one, two and three –
From the lofty elder tree!
Through the calm and frosty air
Of this morning bright and fair,
Eddying round and round they sink
Softly, slowly: one might think
From the motions that are made,
Every little leaf conveyed
Sylph or fairy, hither tending –
To this lower world descending,
Each invisible and mute,
In his wavering parachute.
- But the kitten, how she starts!
Crouches, stretches, paws, and darts:
First at one, and then its fellow,
Just as light and just as yellow;
There are many now – now one –
Now they stop; and there are none.
What intentness of desire
In her up-turned eye of fire!
With a tiger-leap half way,
Now she meets the coming prey.
Lets it go at last, and then
Has it in her power again.
Reaction: My reaction to this poem is happiness and joyfulness because the poem is creating that mood but then after I read the poem I had to really think about what it was trying to say
Poetry devices: this poem definitley used rhyme and also used imagery.
Rhyme Scheme: A A B B C C D D E E F F G G H H I I J J K K L L M M: this rhyme scheme is a repititve pattern throughout the whole poem.
Theme: The theme of this poem I believe is that you can enjoy make a mistake whenever because you can always try again and have fun each and every time.
"William Wordsworth" 1997-2010 Academy of American Poets. http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/296
Glenn Everett,"William Wordsworth: Biography" 2000, University of Tennessee, July. http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/ww/bio.html
Baker, Juliet. Wordsworth. New York:Harper Collins, 2000,2001
'William "The Interminable" Wordsworth'. 1996-2010 British Author Bios. http://incompetech.com/authors/wordsworth/